WINSTON-SALEM – Visual Arts students at
the University of North Carolina School
of the Arts (UNCSA) won 29 gold keys, 13
silver keys, and six honorable mentions
at the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards,
the nation’s most prestigious program
for recognizing artists in grades 7
through 12.

Eleven students – one-third of those
enrolled in UNCSA’s two-year Visual Arts
Program -- won awards for paintings,
drawings, sculptures, mixed-media works,
and portfolio collections.

“These
young artists have demonstrated an
enormous commitment to their craft, an
undeniably disciplined work ethic, and
the ability to respond to and grow from
rigorous critical discourse,” said Will
Taylor, Director of the Visual Arts
Program.“This is a tremendous level of
success for our honored students, as
well as our collective Visual Arts
Program. The entire Visual Arts faculty
is very proud.”

Joseph P. Tilford, Dean of the School of
Design and Production, of which the
Visual Arts Program is part, said there
is no higher honor for high school
artists. “We are extremely proud to have
won 48 awards,” he said. “It is a
wonderful reflection on our talented
students and our top-notch faculty.”

The regional competition of the
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards was held
Jan. 12 at Barton College in Wilson. An
awards ceremony is scheduled for 1:30
p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 at Barton College.
The honored art work will be on exhibit
at Barton Feb. 3 through 22.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
continues to be the longest-running,
most prestigious recognition program for
creative teens in the U.S., and the
largest source of scholarships for young
artists and writers.
Since 1923, Scholastic
has identified the early promise of some
of our nation’s most exceptional
visionaries. Alumni include Andy Warhol,
Philip Pearlstein, Cy Twombly, Truman
Capote, Joyce Carol Oates and Robert
Redford. In the past five years,
submissions have topped 700,000 works,
and students have been eligible for more
than $25 million in awards and
scholarships.

As America’s first state-supported arts
school, the University of North Carolina
School of the Arts is a unique
stand-alone public university of arts
conservatories. With a high school
component, UNCSA is a degree-granting
institution that trains young people of
talent in music, dance, drama,
filmmaking, and design and production.
Established by the N.C. General Assembly
in 1963, the School of the Arts opened
in Winston-Salem (“The City of Arts and
Innovation”) in 1965 and became part of
the University of North Carolina system
in 1972. For more information, visit
www.uncsa.edu.